Summing up 1976 - Above Average
The whole draft is highlighted by the selection of Lee Roy Selmon with the first overall pick. Seeing how the Bucs screwed up this advantage almost every other time they had it, credit must be given here for doing the right thing first time round. Two good trades for Mike Washington and Steve Spurrier are positives, as are the selections of Curtis Jordan, Dewey Selmon and Jimmy DuBose. Negatives are pretty much everything from rounds 3 to 5 especially with the extra selections.

Click here to review the entire 1976 NFL draft
The Bucs won a coin toss with the Seattle Seahawks for the first overall selection (they chose first in the expansion draft instead). The Bucs were given two additional picks in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rounds. The draft was also 17 rounds this year.

1 - DE - Lee Roy Selmon - Oklahoma - Awesome pick
What can you say about the Bucs' first-ever selection? A perennial Pro Bowler, the first Buc in the Hall of Fame, as successful off the field as on it and a real pillar of the Tampa Bay society. Holds the franchise records for sacks and was the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 1979. The best Buccaneer ever.

2 - RB - Jimmy DuBose - Florida - Average pickPlayed three seasons with the Bucs and started 15 games. Injured during 1978 when stretching for an errant Doug Williams pass and never played pro football again.

2 - traded to San Francisco for QB Steve Spurrier - Necessary tradePlayed the first season with the Bucs at the end of his NFL career, starting 12 of the 14 games. Was only a stop-gap measure while the rest of the team was built around
him.

2 - DT/LB - Dewey Selmon - Oklahoma - Good pickYounger brother of Lee Roy who played five seasons with the Bucs, starting 65 games at both the defensive tackle and linebacker positions. Moved on to San Diego later in his career.

3 - T - Steve Young - Colorado - Average pickNot related to the future Buc QB of the 1980s. Played just one season with the Bucs, starting 11 games in 1976.

3 - traded to Baltimore for CB Mike Washington - Awesome trade One of the finest cornerbacks in team history. Played 100 games for the Bucs from 1976 to 1984 and started 97 of them. A key member of the 1979 defensive unit that ranked the best in the NFL.

3 - LB Steve Maughan - Utah State - Wasted pickNever played a down for the Buccaneers. Missed his entire rookie season with a shoulder injury and then spent 1977 battling Hogkins' disease. Was given a clean bill of health to enter camp in 1978 but did not make the roster. Had been coached in college by futue Bucs' GM Phil Kreuger.

4 - traded to L.A. Rams for LB Jim Peterson - Poor tradePlayed three games in the 1976 season and started two.

4 - WR - Richard Appleby - Georgia - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Had played TE during his senior year with the Georgia Bulldogs and caught 13 passes but was most known for the 80-yard option TD pass he threw to Gene Washington to beat the Florida Gators that season.

4 - G - Everett Little - Houston - Poor pickPlayed 10 games in the 1976 season and started the one.

5 - DB - Mishael Kelson - W.Texas State - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Attended Phoenix Junior College before attending West Texas State. Unusual first name is correct and not a misprint.

5 - T - Steve Wilson - Georgia - Awesome pickPlayed 10 seasons with the Bucs and switched to center where he remained a fixture on the Buccaneer offensive line for almost a decade. Retired after the 1985 season as the team leader in games played (126).

6 - DB - Curtis Jordan - Texas Tech - Great pickPlayed five seasons with the Bucs and started 33 of the 71 games he played in the defensive secondary. Went to the Washington Redskins and won a Super Bowl ring with them in 1982.

7 - QB - Parnell Dickinson - Mississippi Valley State - Average pickAppeared in eight games during the 1976 season and started one in place of Steve Spurrier.

8 - traded to N.Y. Jets for LB Steve Reese - Good tradePlayed in all bar one game in the 1976 season and started 10.

9 - G - Bruce Welch - Texas A&M - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all and not related to the Shadows' guitarist of the same name. Was an Honorable Mention All-American in 1975 and had played both guard and center during his time with the Aggies.

10 - LB - Sid Smith - BYU - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Only played linebacker his senior year for the Cougars having switched from center.

11 - DB - Melvin Washington - Colorado State - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Started his senior year in college and known for his track speed (5.3 in the 50-yard dash) more than his footballing skills.

12 - WR - George Ragsdale - North Carolina A&T - Average pickSwitched to RB and spent three seasons with the Bucs playing 39 games without ever starting one.

13 - TE - Brad Jenkins - Nebraska - Wasted pickNever played a down for the Buccaneers. Did not even attend camp having announced to the Bucs after being drafted, that he did not want to pursue a career in professional football.

14 - KR/WR - Carl Roaches - Texas A&M - Wasted pickNever played a down for the Buccaneers but did return a kick for a score during the pre-season. Went on to become a successful kick returner for the Houston Oilers however. Had recorded five return touchdowns during his college career as an indication of his potential.

15 - DT - Bob Dzierzak - Utah State - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Had been a three-year starter under future Buc GM Phil Kreuger in college and was probably drafted for that sole reason.

16 - LB - Tom West - Tennessee - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all. Was drafted as a linebacker despite never having played there since high school. Had been a running back and then a tight end for the Volunteers in college.

17 - QB - Jack Berry - Washington & Lee - Wasted pickNever played football in the NFL at all.. Had started for over two seasons in the Pac-10 but completed only 47% of his passes and threw 47 interceptions against 27 TDs.